The content of this course is tailored to the needs of farmers, NRCS, SWCD, Cooperative Extension, and state department of agriculture employees, as well as crop consultants, natural resource specialists, and non-governmental conservation organization staff.
Registration is $45 per person. Course registration includes the Xerces Society's Pollinator Conservation Toolkit and a copy of Farming With Native Beneficial Insects.
Registration closes Wednesday, December 6th - register early!
Please bring a sack lunch - lunch will not be provided.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until Dec 6th, 2017.
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT
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Jillian Vento
The Xerces Society
503-232-6639
pollinators@xerces.org
The Xerces Society provides reasonable accommodations for special events with adequate notice. To request accommodation for events, please contact pollinators@xerces.org by Wednesday, December 6th, 2017.
The USDA and the Xerces Society are equal-opportunity providers and employers.
This Short Course is made possible with the support of the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The Society's Pollinator Conservation Program was launched in 1996, and works with leading native pollinator ecologists to translate the latest research findings into on-the-ground conservation. More information about the Xerces Society is available at www.xerces.org.
Header: Syrphid fly, by Adam Varenhorst. Sidebar: field observation of pollinators and plants, Anne Averille, University of Massachusetts.
Farming With Beneficial Insects
for Pest Control:
Conservation Biological Control Short Course
The St. Jones Reserve
Dover, DE
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017
9:00 am - 4:00 pm Eastern
Learn a science-based strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects for natural pest control!
Learn about supporting beneficial insects that provide pest control in this full-day short course. Conservation biological control is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control, ultimately reducing and in some cases eliminating the need for pesticides. Join Xerces Society's Kelly Gill, Pollinator Conservation Specialist, as she overviews conservation biological control and beneficial predators and parasitoids that attack insect pests. Participants will learn how common farm practices can impact beneficial insects and how to assess and create farm habitat for beneficial insects.
In response to growing interest in promoting beneficial insects for their pest control services on farms, the Xerces Society has authored the book Farming With Native Beneficial Insects and developed the Conservation Biological Control Short Course to educate farmers, agriculture employees, natural resource specialists, land managers, and conservation organization staff.
SHORT COURSE TRAINING SKILLS AND OBJECTIVES
This workshop will cover:
Participants will receive the Xerces Society's Conservation Biological Control Toolkit which includes habitat installation guidelines and other relevant publications, and the Xerces' book, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects.
*Continuing Education Credits Available*
COURSE AGENDA
Welcome and Announcements
Module 1 - Farming with Beneficial Insects: Conservation Biological Control (CBC)
Module 2 - Common Beneficial Insect Groups
Module 3 - Farm Practices for Beneficial Insects
Guest Speaker - "Let it Bee: Pollinator Power" - Faith Kuehn, Environmental Program Administrator, Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries
Module 4 - Assessing Baseline Farm Conditions for Beneficial Insects
LUNCH - bring a sack lunch!
Module 5 - Designing and Restoring Habitat for Beneficial Insects
Module 6 – USDA Practices and Programs for Beneficial Insect Conservation - Tim Garrahan, NRCS DE Farm Bill Program Specialist
Module 7 - Q&A, additional resources, and course evaluations
INSTRUCTOR
Kelly Gill – Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Region
Kelly is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions for The Xerces Society and a partner biologist with the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Kelly’s position provides technical support for planning, installing, and managing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. A Pennsylvania native, Kelly completed her Master’s Degree in Entomology at Iowa State University. There, she conducted small plot and farm scale research, collaborating with organic and conventional farmers, on the development of best practices for conserving beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes.
GUEST SPEAKER
Faith B. Kuehn - Environmental Program Administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries
Since October 2001, Faith B. Kuehn has served as Environmental Program Administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries. Specific program responsibilities include nursery, apiary, noxious weeds, and invasive species. Faith represents Delaware on the National Plant Board. Faith earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Arizona in 1984, and an M.B.A from the University of Delaware in 1994. Before coming to the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Faith worked as Museum Director for the Insectarium in Philadelphia; and in Research, Development, Marketing, and Technical Support positions within E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.’s Crop Protection Division. One of Faith’s consuming interests is exploring connections between art and the science of insect life. This involves investigating art that reflects the structure, function and cultural connections of insects, with a special emphasis on insect jewelry.
Tim Garrahan, NRCS DE Farm Bill Program Specialist